Watch for the Signs

What do those signs really mean?

A Wildlife Warning Sign is a yellow diamond shaped sign. The sign warns of a hazard ahead, and advises drivers to be cautious. The sign does not require drivers to slow down to a particular speed, unless there is an adjacent speed limit sign posted as well.

BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure collects and interprets data on collision locations and places signs in areas of frequent wildlife use or high collision risk locations.

Drivers must obey wildlife warning signs and any associated speed changes. The signs are located in high wildlife use areas. Drivers must not disregard the signs even if they have been seen many times before. Driver complacency is dangerous.

Reduce Speed

Speed is one of the most common factors in vehicle collisions. Speed:

Reduces the drivers ability to steer away from objects in the roadway

Extends the distance required to stop

Increases the force of impact, in the event of a collision

With good road conditions, drivers tend to increase their speed. Some studies suggest that wildlife vehicle collisions occur more than expected on clear nights, on dry road conditions and on long straight stretches. Drivers may tend to be more cautious on curves or in poor weather

By maintaining the posted speed, drivers can compensate for increased risk.

Think "What If...?"

Mental preparation is a useful tool.

Think about and predict what you might do if an animal suddenly darted out in front of you or ran towards your vehicle.

It is better to think about and learn how to avoid an encounter with wildlife, than have to react to a dangerous situation when you are unprepared.

Drive Defensively

Drivers and passengers should actively watch for:

wildlife - on the road, in the ditch, on the shoulder, and in the right of way

movement on or alongside the road

shining eyes, which will be your head lights reflecting off the animal's eyes. NOTE: Moose are so tall that their eyes are normally above the beams of most vehicle head lights, and so are less likely to reflect the light

Flickering head lights of oncoming cars or tail lights of the vehicles in front of you - which may be an animal crossing the road

Roadside reflectors that disappear/reappear, which might indicate an animal crossing in front of them Watch out between dusk and dawn. Light levels are low, and animals are active.

Anecdotally, there seems to be some evidence that animals that approach from the right side are avoided more successfully than animals that approach from the left, as drivers head lights illuminate that portion of the road better, and drivers pay close attention to the right hand side of the road and the ditch - so remember to pay equal attention to both the right and left hand sides of the road.

Think about the landscape that you are driving through. Is it good habitat for wildlife? Studies show that problem locations are where creeks intersect roads, areas where there is good roadside habitat nearby, and long straight stretches (because people tend to speed up).

Steer Clear - To Swerve or Not to Swerve?

If smaller animals such as deer are in your way - think carefully. Is it safe to swerve?

Do not take unsafe evasive actions. Serious accidents can occur when drivers lose control of their vehicles trying to avoid an animal. Always reduce your speed in signed areas. Driving at a slower speed may mean it is not necessary to swerve at all. Swerving can take you into the path of an oncoming vehicle or into the ditch.

If a deer is in your way, consider using your brakes, not your wheel.

If you have to choose between swerving or striking a moose, consider swerving. A collision with a moose, which can weigh up to 500 kgs (1200 lbs), carries a significant risk of injury or death to motorists and passengers. If a crash with a moose is inevitable, crouch as low as possible in your seat, or under the dash, as a moose's body usually ends up crushing the roof of a car completely flat.

Use Your Vehicle

Maintain your vehicle - Keep head lights, signal lights, and tail lights clean and in good working order.

Clean your windshield, inside and out, once a week, or more if someone smokes, and check and repair windshield wiper blades.

Keep headlights properly aligned to avoid blinding other drivers and optimize road coverage. Keep your headlights clear of dirt and road salt residue. Check the condition of the headlight lenses in the spring and fall and clean, repair or replace if they are cloudy or scratched.

Wear your seatbelt at all times.

Honk your horn or flash your lights to scare animals off the road. This may scare a deer off the road, but does not usually work for moose.

In a 3 lane situation, when it is safe to do so, and when it is not impeding other traffic, drive in the middle lane to provide more distance from the ditch.

Use high beams when it is safe to do so, and scan the road ahead with quick glances.

At night, use the high beams of the vehicle in front of you to extend your effective sight distance.

Electronic Stability Control ("ESC") helps you maintain control of your vehicle in emergency avoidance manoeuvres such as swerving around wildlife. ESC detects and corrects loss of vehicle control. If you skid, ESC works together with your antilock braking system and automatically applies braking to the correct wheel to help you regain control. ESC reacts instantly, often correcting your direction before you know you are skidding.

ESC is now standard on 2012 and later models and is sold under many trade names such as Electronic Stability Program, Vehicle Skid Control, Vehicle Stability Assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Stabilitrak, Advance Trac, and others. ESC works in cars, vans, SUV's, pickup trucks, buses, commercial trucks, and tractor trailers.

ESC helps you avoid wildlife and unexpected road hazards. ESC works on snow, ice, rain, gravel, or dry pavement. ESC is most effective in preventing serious crashes; the loss of control and rollover situations that maim or kill people. ESC helps keep you on the road and other drivers in their own lane.

Many experts worldwide describe ESC as "the most important auto safety innovation since seat belts." Check out Electronic Stability Control the next time you buy a new vehicle.

What if a Crash is Inevitable?

In certain conditions, there is no real choice except to strike the animal.

If it appears impossible to avoid the animal:

Aim for the spot the animal is coming from, not where it is going.

Look where you want to go, not at the animal. You tend to drive where you look - if you are looking at the animal, that is where the vehicle tends to go.

If you must hit something, try for a glancing blow rather than a head-on hit.

Brake firmly and quickly, then look, and steer your vehicle to strike the animal at an angle.

Let up on the brake just before you hit the animal. This causes the front end of your vehicle to rise and reduces the chances of the animal coming through your windshield.

What Should Drivers Do If They Have A Collision With Wildlife?

This depends on the type and condition of the road, the amount of traffic, the type of animal, and the condition of the driver.

Pull off the road.

Turn on hazard lights.

Illuminate the animal with your head lights.

Warn other drivers if there is a carcass on the road which poses a hazard.

You may choose to carefully approach the animal to determine if it is dead or injured.

If it is injured, back off. A wounded animal can be very dangerous. You are not required to put an injured animal out of its misery.

Injured animals are very dangerous.

Dead Deer, Highway 97, Prince George BC
Photo courtesy of Jim Hesse

You may choose to remove a dead animal from the road so that it does not present a hazard to other drivers.

Only remove the animal if it is safe to do so, and you are physically capable of doing so.

Inspect your vehicle to see if it safe to continue driving.

Call the RCMP if there is damage over $1000 or any human injuries.

Call the Conservation Officer Service if there is a dead or injured animal to report.
In BC - 1.877.952.7277
In AB - 1.800 642.3800

In a National Park, like Jasper, Banff, Kootenay etc., contact the Park Wardens. Even if your vehicle is not damaged, reporting the exact location helps wardens monitor injured animals and recover dead ones. Quick removal prevents other animals from being attracted to the highway.

Report vehicle damage to your insurance company.

If you are in BC, contact DriveBC to notify the highways maintenance contractor who is responsible for removing carcasses on provincial highways.

On your computer, go to the DriveBC website and click on the “Report a Highway Problem” link. The link goes to a map of maintenance contractors that has their contact information at the bottom.

"Highway and Bridge Problems” where animal carcass is listed as one of the identified problems. You will be asked to confirm your general location on a map, and then contact information for the highways maintenance contractor responsible for that area will be provided.

When reporting a wildlife vehicle collision, be ready to provide a clear description of the problem, and as much location information as you can. Knowing where a collision is located on a rural highway can be difficult. Don’t hesitate to call, even if you are not very familiar with the area, because you can you can still provide useful information.

Think about these details before you call.

What is the name of the highway or road that you were you travelling on when the collision took place?

What location were you travelling from and where were you headed?

What direction were you traveling (north, south, east, or west)?

What is the closest town to you and in what direction is it?

What is the last landmark (road junction, store, highway sign, creek, river, rest stop, bridge) that you passed and how far (and in what direction) from that landmark did the collision occur?

Accurate reporting of the collision location is important so that highway managers can identify areas where wildlife collisions are frequent and then take steps to reduce any hazards located in those areas.

Note: If the collision involved small domestic animals (dogs or cats) you can contact the BC SPCA hotline at 1-855-622-7722. The BC SPCA does not provide animal control services in all communities in BC, but the Call Centre operators do have access to animal control agency numbers throughout BC or they may be able to provide some assistance over the telephone.